


Day at the Beach

by ALovelyDeath



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Bonding, Family Dynamics, Haise overworks himself, Sandcastles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-05-16 07:37:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5819851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ALovelyDeath/pseuds/ALovelyDeath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haise proposes a beach trip for him at the squad, after all they could use a day off. Unfortunately Haise has issues following his own advice so Saiko intervenes for her maman's sake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Day at the Beach

**Author's Note:**

> Written for thecolorofmauve on tumblr. They won a follower giveaway and requested a beach day for Haise and the squad.

A day at the beach, a day off, is supposed to be exactly that. A day off. A day to relax and interact with family and friends without doing any work. That’s what Haise tells the Quinx when he proposes the idea at least.

To no one’s surprise Urie is the only one who offers any form of resistance. Mutsuki quickly caves under Saiko’s pleas and Haise informing them that it’s a squad trip. Either everyone goes or no one does. In the end Urie only agrees because Shirazu threatens to drag him otherwise.

Haise books the next Sunday off and informs Akira that he won’t be in. No one really works on Sundays anyway. Most people who go in on Sundays are either playing catch up or trying to get ahead. Haise figures he’s put in enough Sundays to last him a while. Besides, he and the squad are between missions, and all the required paperwork has been filed.

For all means and purposes he really should have a free day. At times though it feels like he can never really get away from work no matter how hard he tries to not let his job interfere with his home life.

No one works on Sundays.

Unless you are Akira or Arima.

Haise is still driving when the first message arrives. Too focused on the traffic packed roads, he doesn’t even consider risking answering, and by the time they arrive at the beach and get everything set up Haise’s phone has slipped his mind.

Until three more arrive in quick succession, one after the other.

Frowning, Haise sets his book to the side, picking up his phone to find four new messages from Akira.

He wouldn’t be the first to say it, but she overtaxes herself. It’s a well-known fact that Akira overworks herself, often spending all her time at the office. The whispered jokes are that she only goes home to sleep when she remembers to.

The first message is a confirmation that she received his report. The final three are just his name. Nothing else.

Haise quickly writes a reply asking what the problem is, punctuating his confusion with five more question marks than necessary. Is there something wrong with his report? He’s confident the report is up to her standards, so what’s wrong?

“Mamannnnnnn” Saiko whines with a tug on Haise’s sleeve. “You said no work. You _promised_.”  She reminds him with a pout.

Haise sighs and smiles at Saiko, dropping his phone to his lap. “Mado just needed something from me.” He assures her giving the blue-haired girl a pat on the head.

“Ignore her!” Saiko persists clenching both her fists and looking at Haise with a determination that he’s only ever seen on her face when trying to pass a difficult level on a game. “You work too hard maman!”

A quick glance around confirms Haise’s suspicions. Mutsuki and Shirazu are busy making a sandcastle, laughing and joking just out of earshot. Shirazu’s antics relieving most of the anxiety Mutsuki appears to be feeling. Saiko’s 3DS lies on her towel, screen still lit up and faint whispers of a jaunty tune coming from the speakers. Urie reclines on his towel, one headphone in and a book propped up on his chest. One ear free of a headphone is better than both in and being unable to get his attention. It’s progress in Haise’s opinion.

Everyone else is enjoying themselves, and here Haise, the one who had proposed the idea and insisted that they didn’t do any work, is the only one not taking his own advice.

Haise ignores the vibration from his cell phone, blushing slightly when Saiko notices the lit up screen. Her eyes narrow.

“We should do something!” She declares.

Haise holds up his book with a sheepish smile, “I was reading this.”

She shakes her head, blue pigtails flying. “Too easy for you to get distracted by Mado” she looks around, eyes falling on Shirazu and Mutsuki piling sand into a bucket. “OH! Let’s make a sandcastle!” She suggests in a sweet voice, eyes bright.

Internally Haise groans. He knows he is too soft on the girl but he is sympathetic to her problems. It’s no secret that he’s wrapped around her fingers and Saiko often uses it to her advantage. Top it off with Saiko’s puppy dog eyes and her genuine concern for her maman’s wellbeing and he’s pretty much putty in her hands. She’s gotten into the habit of checking Haise’s room late at night when she goes to the kitchen for water to make sure he’s asleep. For all his joking about Mado not having a life outside of work Haise is on the fast-track to becoming just like her.

“All right,” Haise takes off his glasses, setting them to the side on top of his book and phone. “We’ll make it a contest.” He scoops up a shovel and bucket and motions for Saiko to do the same. Saiko scrambles to save her game before turning the console off and snapping it shut. Picking up a bucket and shovel she rushes to catch up.

Haise strides over to where Mutsuki and Shirazu are, Saiko struggling to keep up with her maman’s powerwalk.

“We challenge you to a sandcastle contest!” Haise declares theatrically with his hands on his hips.

Mutsuki and Shirazu exchange a puzzled glance before Shirazu breaks down laughing and Mutsuki just stares.

“W-wait yer serious?” Shirazu manages once his giggles have subsided and he realizes his superior is still standing in the same position, though looking a little deflated from being laughed at.

A faint blush creeps on Haise’s face as he feels his theatrics leave him. “Yes,” he answers steadily.

Mutsuki and Shirazu share another glance. “Yer going down!” Shirazu declares pointing his finger at Saiko and Haise.

Mutsuki, face set with determination, makes a faint noise of agreement.

“We’ll see about that.” Haise is wearing his Sasarious face which they know by now means that he is all business.

“Uh,” Mutsuki glances around, yellow bucket appearing even brighter next to his black shorts, “How are we going to figure out the winner?”

“Uribo. He’s artistic right?”

“Urie you’re our sandcastle judge!” Haise shouts hoping the boy will hear him over the clamor of hundreds of other voices and Urie’s headphones.

His response comes as a thumb up from the dark-haired boy who otherwise gives no indication that he heard.

The four of them stand facing each other, waiting for someone to give the go-ahead. Finally taking it upon herself Saiko, with a small fist pump, yells “Go!”

Dropping to their knees Haise and Saiko get to work on filling a bucket with sand. A short distance away Mutsuki works on levelling a patch of sand while Shizaru starts digging a rough outline for a moat with his hands.

The two teams work diligently for some time, one member occasionally being sent out for sabotage or espionage. No rules on fighting fair had been laid out beforehand and more than one handful of damp, loosely packed sand is flung, much to the receiving side’s half-hearted groans.

When both sides declare their castles complete Haise goes off to retrieve Urie to judge. The two come back with Haise juggling an armful of water bottles and sandwiches that he hands out to each member of his squad with a reminder to stay hydrated.

Urie takes a sip of his water, one earphone still in his ear, the other dangling by his abdomen. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and stares at the two sandcastles.

As Urie starts his inspection Haise hands out the sandwiches he had prepared that morning to the other three members of his squad.

The four of them stand huddled in a little group, the younger three munching happily on their sandwiches while Haise fiddles with the cap on his bottle of water idly. Watching Urie scrutinize their less than stellar works of art is an enlightening, if not oddly nerve-wracking, experience for Haise.

Urie circles each sandcastle, occasionally crouching down to get a closer look. What he’s inspecting Haise honestly has no clue because neither sandcastle is made of the best craftsmanship. But then again Haise is no artist.

Both teams had gotten rather creative with their castles. Mutsuki and Shizaru had cleverly decided to transform a crumbling side that they couldn’t repair into a castle siege by placing a stone on top of the ruined section with a simple catapult, made out of five twigs balanced on four rocks, on the other side of the moat. Haise and Saiko built their castle on a plateau of raised sand with a dried stream running along the side that empties into a deep lake. Any minor crumbling had been fixed with damp sand filled in the cracks and loose edges.

Finally done his examination Urie returns to his squad and gives his verdict. “Shirazu and Mutsuki,” his tone is characteristically flat and his face in its typical mask of indifference.

Shirazu lets out a whoop of delight, grinning from ear to ear.

Holding his hand up for a high give Mustuki does his best to hide his wince when Shirazu slaps his hand with more force than expected.

Saiko sticks her tongue out at her fellow housemates while Haise smiles fondly at his small family.

“I’ll cook your favourite meal for you two when we get back to the chateau,” Haise says as he walks back towards their spot, hand beckoning them to follow.

Appreciate thank you’s are heard along with a heavy sigh from Saiko.

His belongings are right where he left them on the striped blanket. Haise puts his glasses back on, picks up his novel, thumbs his way back to the correct page, cellphone nestled in his lap. Waiting for the perfect time is key if he doesn’t want to be pestered for answering a work related text again.

Saiko goes back to her game, tongue poking out between her lips every once and a while in concentration. It’s Haise’s and likely a few others opinion that, if she could put half as much dedication and concentration in her job as she does for her games she would make for a skilled investigator.

Returning from a swim in the ocean Shirazu applies another layer of sunscreen. When he’s finished he reclines on his towel in an effort to get a bit of a tan.

Urie lies face down on his towel, both headphones in now, book discarded by his head.

Mutsuki has taken cover under the large beach umbrella Haise had crammed into the trunk of the car that morning. This would be a concern because he’s right behind Haise and in the direct line of sight but a glance back confirms it shouldn’t be a problem. He’s pulled his knees up to his chest, arms wrapped around his legs and rests his cheek against his knees. He’s been watching the ocean with distant eyes and a blank if not somewhat wistful face. Haise is tempted to ask the boy if everything is all right but there is also a certain peacefulness in his face that Haise doesn’t want to disturb. As Haise watches a small, content smile tugs at the corner of Mutsuki’s lips.

Now convinced that no one will bother him for answering a work message Haise checks his phone. There is only one new message on his phone.

_Enjoy your day off :)._

Haise frowns then chuckles to himself. It is in Mado’s style to do something like this. Send off vague text messages to get Haise worked up only for it to be something minor or something like this.

He sends her off a reply with his usual pun before going back to his book. Barely a page into his reading and he gets a reply. A simple but baffled inquiry as to how he gets any work done with his desk in the scattered state it’s in. Another follows shortly after explaining that she needed a file and found it under a stack of receipts and papers, saving him the trouble of asking. A quick apology is sent out for having to put her through the trouble of looking for it. She informs him he will clean his desk tomorrow morning to which he has no choice but to agree.

Turning back to his book with a smile Haise’s mind wanders back to his office space, he knows his desk is getting rather out of hand, but that is a worry for tomorrow, not today.

* * *

 

They leave before the sun sets. Their makeshift family making their way along the sand, carrying their assorted personal belongings up the gently sloping beach back to the car. It takes some rearranging to get everything back in, because nothing ever seems to want to fit in how it’s supposed to a second time around.

Before starting the car Haise reaches into the glove compartment for some cream and tosses it to Urie. Urie catches it with a mumbled thank you. Having fallen asleep with his back exposed to the sun he’s acquired quite the nasty sunburn. Minus the large smiley face Shirazu had painted on his back with sunscreen at some point. Urie hasn’t noticed it yet and Haise doesn’t look forward to the moment he does.

The car is unusually quiet. The radio turned down low. Most of the squad appears to be dozing except for Mutsuki who sits in the passenger seat looking out the window.

This day off was exactly what he’d been craving but had been too afraid to take the time off for. Now, he realizes he needed a day away from the office and the frantic pace the CCG tends to run at. Haise smiles to himself as he steers the car onto the turnoff home. With summer fast approaching, he hopes trips like this will become a regular thing. After all, the day was fun. And, Haise decides, that’s exactly what he needed.

 

 

 


End file.
